Keeping the customer (profitably) satisfied.

by: Simon Glynn and Ewan Jones

Which is more enlightened: the company that cuts costs across the board during the downturn, not knowing the impact on customer satisfaction; or the company that confidently spends whatever it takes to keep satisfaction scores high?

Neither. What both companies must do is to understand, and selectively
invest in, the particular aspects of their service that drive customers’ repurchase. The goal must be to link customer satisfaction to sustained profit growth.